Press kit

Dakar Mini

Press kit: Story, photos and video of the Dakar Mini. Free for editorial use with credit.

01Story

Raw power in a MK1 shell, prepped for the dirt

Meet DAKAR Mini. Fully inspired by the golden age of desert rallies like the DAKAR and the well-loved and known CAMEL adventures for Land Rovers, this Mini was never meant to be cute; it was meant to go, go anywhere. Think of speed, dust, details and nothing subtle.

Built on a classic Mk1-style body and finished in a bold rally yellow, the car is covered in CAMEL stickers, Shell graphics, and attitude. Under the bonnet roars an Innocenti Cooper 1300 twin-carb engine, the most powerful setup ever factory-fitted to a Mini — giving this build not just voice, but bite.

This isn’t a tribute car — it’s built with intent. Red Dot suspension, Hi-Lo adjusters, adjustable shocks, and front disc brakes form the foundation. It rolls on magnesium wheels with knobby off-road tyres that don’t care if the road ends. Details like heavy-duty tow eyes, mudflaps, and Lucas SLR700 spot lamps aren’t accessories — they’re tools. Mechanically, it’s fitted with 1.5 forged rockers and adjustable rear radius arms

Inside, there’s no fuss — just bucket seats, a roof rack, and dark brown high-pile carpet that somehow works in a car that otherwise feels like a rolling toolkit. The switches are wired through proper classic Bosch relays, and out back there’s a cleanly integrated reverse light. — because control matters when you’re pushing limits.